News & Updates
Children's Representation Program
As summer kicks off, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) spotlights our three Summer 2024 interns. First up, Yuki Kyu. Yuki brings a unique blend of passion, experience, and creativity to VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program, ReLeSe (Reentry Legal Services) Program, and South Ward Promise Neighborhood Program.
“Emelina”* and her daughter “Kristiana”* live in Newark’s South Ward. At age five, Kristiana was diagnosed with diabetes, yet was determined to not let that hold her back. Like many her age, Kristiana enrolled in kindergarten to begin her journey from K to 12.
Of course, to succeed in school, Kristiana would need medical support. Through advocating for Kristiana, Emelina had the school district agree to some of the medical recommendations from Kristiana’s doctor, but the school district would not comply with all the recommendations.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is honored to recognize Andrew Meltzer as its June Volunteer of the Month. Andrew is a Special Education Attorney with Susan, Greenwald & Wesler who began volunteering with VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program (CRP) in 2015. Since then, he has devoted over 500 pro bono hours to representing parents of children with disabilities, and his volunteerism has only increased in the midst of the pandemic.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is thrilled to honor George Holland as its May Volunteer of the Month. George has been a devoted volunteer with VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program since November 2015.
George’s commitment to advocating for the rights of disabled children dates back to when he first started practicing law in 1996. George has his own successful law firm, the Law Offices of George M. Holland, which primarily involves special education litigation with local school districts. He also provides advice and advocacy in dealing with special education and related services, issues involving placements and programs as well as working with consultants and experts. In addition, George handles litigation with state agencies, such as the Division of Developmental Disabilities and the Children’s System of Care, as well as the preparation and filing of guardianship applications.
George first learned about VLJ five years ago from his friends at the Education Law Center. He immediately signed up to become a volunteer with VLJ. Since then, he has provided pro bono legal representation to ten clients in their special education matters.
George is steadfastly committed to pro bono work and wholeheartedly believes in the importance of giving back. “I feel very fortunate to be able to assist and make a difference in the lives of disabled students and their families. Through my work with the VLJ, I am trying to help the many students and families who could use my services, but are unable to afford to pay the hourly rate that a private attorney, such as myself, would charge,” notes George.
George recalls one recent pro bono case with VLJ where he advocated on behalf of a single mother whose disabled child had been terminated from his private school for disabled students. The district abruptly stopped paying for the private school claiming that the child was no longer domiciled within the district and disregarded the parent’s procedural rights to contest this determination. The child had been home for months without any education or even the ability to socialize with peers. In a very short amount of time, George was able to successfully get him back into that school so that he could continue his education.
Reflecting on his work with VLJ, George remarks: “I have found VLJ to take a very ‘hands on' approach. They thoroughly interview prospective pro bono clients to ensure that their disputes actually merit having an attorney. Moreover, they remain involved in the cases. They have even assisted with communicating with clients who do not speak English as a first language while a case was pending.”
George is such a passionate advocate for low-income parents of children with disabilities. Not only does George take on cases for full-representation, but he is also always available to mentor other less experienced attorneys. George also gets out in front of emerging legal issues and he has stepped up even more in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, affirmatively reaching out to VLJ to offer his assistance.
VLJ is honored to recognize George as its May Volunteer of the Month.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is thrilled to honor Michael Poreda as its September Volunteer of the Month. Michael has been volunteering with VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program since June 2018.
Michael recently merged his own practice with the law firm Wronko Loewen Benucci in Somerville. He handles a variety of matters, but focuses on education and employment law.
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is excited to honor Philip Taylor as its June Volunteer of the Month. Phil has been volunteering with VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program for the past year. His interest in pro bono work began when he left a position practicing shareholder litigation at the law firm Abraham, Fruchter & Twersky to begin his own practice. “When I started my solo practice, I had more opportunity to do pro bono work,” said Phil. “My practice was slow initially, so I was excited by the opportunity to give back and learn about new practice areas.” After participating in VLJ’s new volunteer orientation, Phil, whose parents were both special education teachers, became interested in the Children’s Representation Program (CRP). CRP provides free legal advice and representation to parents or guardians of children with disabilities who have been denied the special education services to which they are entitled.
The school-to-prison pipeline – a disturbing national trend in which children, especially those who are minorities or have disabilities, are pushed out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems – has made national headlines in recent years, with much discussion on how to address this problem. For attorney Becky Rosenfeld, it meant a career change – from representing defendants in criminal matters to going back to the start: school.
For a parent, the process of securing appropriate services for a child in school can often be overwhelming, intimidating, and exhausting. After experiencing this firsthand, Karen Edler has become a powerful advocate for parents who desperately need help understanding and navigating their children’s education rights.
Karen is of counsel at Price Meese Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C. She has nearly twenty years of education law experience, and has been a volunteer with VLJ’s Children’s Representation Program (CRP), from taking pro bono cases to serving as a mentor for attorneys new to the area of law, since just after its establishment
